That's All Folks: Sinema Flips Arizona Senate Seat to Democrats

By Andrea Ruth | 9:33 PM on November 12, 2018

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U.S. Senate candidates, U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., left, and U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., prepare their remarks in a television studio prior to a televised debate, Monday, Oct. 15, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Kyrsten Sinema, the “Netroots Nation lefty,” Arizonian-mocking Democrat vying against the Republican ret. Air Force Col. Martha McSally, has managed to flip retiring Sen. Jeff Flake’s seat in the United States Senate.

While initial results last week had McSally ahead and projected to win, the near weeks’ long vote counting saw Sinema gaining on the colonel and finally surpassing her.

Sinema won the race by a mere 1.7 percentage points, or by 37,197 out of over 2.1 million votes cast.

Democrat Kyrsten Sinema has won Arizona's open U.S. Senate seat in a race that was among the most closely watched in the nation. https://t.co/G1BZEaRSAs

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 13, 2018

A notable difference in this race is the difference of Arizona’s infamous Maricopa County, where Republican Doug Ducey was re-elected governor by 15 points. McSally lost the county by 3.8 points, meaning many who voted for Ducey split their tickets and either voted against her or not at all.

One does have to wonder how much the fact that the controversially Trump-pardoned and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio running in the primary had to do with handing a typically red county to the Democrat in this singular race.

So, now, instead of a Senator Jeff Flake, who voted for both of Trump’s Supreme Court nominees as well as the major Republican reforms, the GOP and Trump have a Democratic senator who won’t vote with them on anything. Correct the course, guys, this way lies ruin.